1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for performing wireless communication by an information processing apparatus in cooperation with a wireless communication card inserted into a card slot thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Where wireless communication is performed in a portable information processing apparatus, such as a notebook personal computer (PC), an information-processing peripheral device, which has a wireless communication function and a card shape (a wireless communication card), is inserted into a card slot formed in the PC, so that wireless communication is performed by the card. For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-261274 (a card type circuit apparatus) discloses a conventional wireless communication card (a PC card in accordance with, e.g., PC Card standard) with a wireless communication function. The PC card disclosed in this publication includes a wireless communication circuit and an antenna mounted thereon, such that, when it is inserted in the PC card slot of a notebook PC, the antenna portion extends out of the main body. As a PC card with a wireless communication function, there is a card of a communication type, such as wireless LAN, or Bluetooth.
Bluetooth is a standard for short distance wireless communication, which uses an ISM (Industry Science Medical) band of a 2.4 GHz band to realize wireless communication at a distance of 10 m or less. Bluetooth utilizes a frequency hopping method as a spectrum diffusion technique, and allows at most eight devices to be connected by a time division multiplexing method. In Bluetooth, a network called xe2x80x9cpico-netxe2x80x9d is formed of devices connected by a time division multiplexing method, in which one of them functions as a host device and the others function as slave devices. This network (pico-net) uses PIN (Personal Identification Number) codes to perform connection authentication.
As described above, notebook PCs perform wireless communication with the outside through the antenna of a PC card for wireless communication inserted into a PC card slot. In general, however, notebook PCs have a PC card slot formed in the base unit of a PC main body, and thus the antenna portion of a PC card inserted in the slot is positioned close to a table. Where the antenna of a PC card for wireless communication is positioned close to a table, it is greatly affected by the table, which deteriorates the performance.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are views showing characteristic of horizontal polarized waves and vertical polarized waves, respectively, where an antenna radiation pattern was measured while a PC card for wireless communication was inserted into the PC card slot of a notebook PC, which was placed on a corrugated cardboard box made of paper. The measurement on the corrugated cardboard box is equivalent to that in a floating state in the air, thereby providing a good characteristic in the horizontal polarized waves.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are views showing characteristic of horizontal polarized waves and vertical polarized waves, respectively, where an antenna radiation pattern was measured while the PC card for wireless communication was inserted into the PC card slot of the notebook PC, which was placed on a table made of wood. As shown by the characteristics in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the antenna radiation characteristics measured on the table made of wood are greatly deteriorated. Especially, where a table is made of metal, the antenna radiation characteristics are further deteriorated, with a decrease of 5 to 6 dB in the antenna gain.
Furthermore, where an antenna is placed at a low position, it is easily affected by the environment, such that, e.g., transmission/reception radio waves are interrupted during operation of a PC. In addition, where part of the PC card projects from the main body, if a notebook PC is dropped during carriage, a PC card for wireless communication can be easily broken.
An object of an embodiment is to provide an information processing apparatus, wireless communication card, and information processing system, which can reliably prevent a card from being damaged, or the like, during carriage.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus, which utilizes a function of a wireless communication card including a control section and a wireless communication section, the apparatus comprising:
a body;
an antenna supported by the body;
a slot provided to the body and configured to detachably insert the card therein;
a first connector provided to the body, and configured to connect the control section to the body when the card is inserted in the slot; and
a second connector provided to the body, and configured to connect the wireless communication section to the antenna in a state where the card is inserted in the slot.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication card to be detachably inserted in a slot formed in an information processing apparatus having a wireless communication antenna, the card comprising:
a card casing;
a circuit provided in the card casing, and including a control section and a wireless communication section connected to the control section;
a first connector provided to the card casing, and electrically connecting the control section to the information processing apparatus when the card is inserted in the slot; and
a second connector provided to the card casing, and electrically connecting the wireless communication section to the antenna.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing system comprising:
an information processing apparatus comprising an apparatus main body having an information processing function, and a wireless communication antenna supported by the apparatus main body; and
a wireless communication card comprising a circuit including a control section and a wireless communication section connected to the control section,
wherein the information processing apparatus comprises
a slot formed in the apparatus main body and configured to detachably insert the card therein,
a first connector provided to the apparatus main body, and configured to interface-connect the control section to the apparatus main body in a state where the card is inserted in the slot, and
a second connector provided to the apparatus main body, and configured to connect the wireless communication section to the antenna in the state where the card is inserted in the slot, and
wherein the wireless communication card comprises
a card casing forming a card shape and containing the circuit,
a third connector provided to the card casing, and configured to engage with the first connector and interface-connect the control section to the information processing apparatus in the state where the card is inserted in the slot, and
a fourth connector provided to the card casing, and configured to engage with the second connector and connect the wireless communication section to the antenna in the state where the card is inserted in the slot.